Electronic checks: how secure are they?

Monday, 3 November 2003, 9:56 AM EST

There's no doubt about it: Computer technology makes life easier for con artists and identity thieves. Last month, with great fanfare, the U.S. Federal Reserve rolled out its redesigned twenty-dollar bill, citing among other reasons for the new currency the fact that criminals can now scan and print counterfeit bills using low-cost computers and color laser printers.

While the government slowly tackles piracy of our currency, there's another form of monetary transaction that is equally vulnerable: the personal check. It, too, is about to change because of the capabilities of computers, though I wish the event had received as much publicity as the new twenty.

Spotlight

(IN)SECURE Magazine is a free digital security publication discussing some of the hottest information security topics. Learn about personal data bankruptcy and the cost of privacy, security and compliance, delivering digital security to a mobile world, and much more.

As ISPs, hosting providers and online enterprises around the world continue suffering the effects of DDoS attacks, often the discussions that follow are, “What is the best way to defend our networks and our customers against an attack?”

The code redirects visitors to another URL where the Fiesta exploit kit is hosted, which then tries to detect and exploit several vulnerabilities in various software. If it succeeds, the visitors are saddled with a banking Trojan.

Looking for an Android-based tablet for your child but don't know which one to choose? If you are concerned about the device's protection against random hackers, Bluebox Security has just released a review of the nine most popular Android tablet models aimed specifically at children.